Boat mooring



M rb. A'

July 5, 1960 H, W, ANDERgEN 2,943,590

BOAT MOORING Filed March 25, 1958 INVENToR. HAROLD WA/voERsE/v UnitedStates Patent() BOAT MOORING Harold W. Andersen, 532 Manhasset WoodsRoad, Manhasset, N.Y.

nnen Mar. z5, 195s, ser. Nc. 723,702 13 Claims. (cl. 114-230) Thepresent invention relates to aY novel and improved boat mooring.

`Objectsand` advantages of the'invention will be set forth inparthereinafter and in part will be obvious' herefrorn, or may belearned bypractice with theinvention, the same being (realized and attained bymeans' of Patented July 5, 1960 me. lee

I carried bar member, the bar member is preferably formed as a permanentor electromagnetV and the flexible, anchoredmember is formed by flat,magnetic material and is fexibly anchored so that it may be easilyrotated in the Water `to provide full engagement of the magnetic p barwith a flat side of the ilexible members, thereby the inistrumentalitiesand combinations pointed out in the whereonly one or two `p`eoplemay` beon board, is a recurring and difficult problem and it is often necessaryto make several atttempts to pick up the mooring buoy, withthe'consequent danger,delay and annoyance attendant upon failure toeiect suchl mooring. Even when two adults are `on board with onenavigating and the other attempting to catch the mooring line, greatdiculty is often experienced,` especially in bad weather or in Iacrowded mooring space.

The present invention has for lits object the provision of a novel andimproved mooring device which is especially adapted to simplify themooring ofl a motor or sail boat with a minimum of elort and skill andusually with only one person operating the boat. A further object is theprovision of an improved mooring device which will, in most cases,automatically cause engagement of the component parts of the mooring,regardless of weather, pitching or rolling of the boat, and whichrequires no special manipulation of the mooring as the boat is driventowards and into engagement with the mooring. The invention furtherprovides a mooring which is automatically engaged by movement of theboat relative to the mooring and which is easily disengaged whendesired.

In general, the mooring device of `the present invention comprisesinterengaging members, one o f which is an anchored floating member andthe other of which is a member carried by the boat to be moored.l Theanchored oating member comprises a flexibly anchored float from whichupwardly extends -a relatively long flexible member, which' ispreferably aztlat strip lof magnetic insuring entry of the Vbar into thehasp carried by the ilexible strap. Although the bar carried by the bowof the boat may beA formed of magnetic material and the floating memberformed as la'permanent magnet, it isV preferable to Yhave the magnetmounted on the boat as the horizontal bar.

The neat-carried hasp is resiliently urged to closed position but may beeasily released manually for disengaging the b oat fromits mooring. t

Thusg as the boat is steered towards the mooring, a relatively wide bar,preferably a magnetic bar, is brought against a buoyantlysupported,upright liiat strip, preff erably magnetic, at the upper end of which isprovided av resilient4 haspadapted to allow the entry and engagement o fthe boat-carried Vbaryinto Vthe hasp. This strip is irotated as requiredby the sustained pressure of the Vb ar against fthe-strip, andthe stripbeing resilient'is bent and deflected fromits vertical, oated positionso`that accurate verticalalinement-of the bar and hasp is not required,and pitching of the boat does lnot substantially interfere with mooringBeing magnetic, the bar and at strip -tend to remain in engagement asthe boat rolls, and remain in engagement until the boat is manuallydisengaged from its mooring.v At the upper endof the mooring, -it ispreferably provided with a directional .ag or signal so that the .personat Vthe wheel `may determine his course with respect to the flat sidesof the mooring. Y l

It will be understood that the foregoinggeneral de- Y scription and thefollowing detailed description as well material, suchas spring steel,and` is provided at its gent members or horns which are; made'fast tothe bow oftheboat 'and which tend to :guide the, anchored vflexiblemember into engagement witha member-positioned between the horns, sothat the boat-carried memberzm-ay bev engagedand held by thefloat-carried hasp-.L To facilitate engagement of the anchored `hasp:with/the boatare exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are notrestrictive thereof.-

Ofrthe drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveiview of an ill trative andpreferred embodiment of one member of the present invention; p n

Figure 2 is a similar memberrofthe preferred embodiment; t

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the bar and hasp members inengaged or mooring position;

Figure 4 is ak schematic sectional |view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary general view showing the parts of theinvention in their normal operating relation as a boat is about to bemoored.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative and preferred embodiment ofthe invention as shown in the drawings, the boat 10 to be moored carriesa bar member near its bow which is Iadapted to engage and be releasablysecured by as hasp member nearv the upper end of a oating upright mooredmember, the bar and hasp being so constructed and mounted that' the baris'automatically 'engaged by the vhasp as the boat is driven intocontact with the uprightsnpportingthe hasp. i

As embodied, the bar member comprises a magnetic member, preferably apermanent magnet member which is supported within a strong metallicframeworkfand is firmly attached to the Vbow of the boat to` be moored.On the bow off the boattl() lismounted a Ll-shaped member 12 havingdivergent sides 14` betweenlwhichispivotally. mounted a` channeled-bar16 formed at its ends with pivots118 which are mounted insuitableapertures in the side members 414 and is restrained against excessivepivotal movement by pin 20 which is limi-tedby one ortheotherofstopsZZ.t t f view of the other and cooperatingY Channel bar 16 is formed with aplurality of spaced apart, elongated magnets 26 which are preferablyformed of a ceramic magnetic material, which is not subject tosubstantial corrosion. Between the ceramic permanent magnet members y26are longitudinally extendingfsteel or other ferromagnetic members 28,and the ceramic members `26Uand the intermediate members 28 are Ysomagnetized that the external faces of these members present alternatepoles tto increase the magnetic attractionfor a steel or other magneticstrip.

The bars 26 and 28 are firmly held assembled by nonmagnctic rivets 30which -hold them within the interior of the non-magnetic channel bar 16.

The cooperating, floating, engageable member lto cooperate with themagnetic member of Figures land l4 comprises a steel or other exiblemagnetic strap 40 which extends more or less vertically and is adaptedto beengaged by the faces of magnets 2S and by the counter poles 28.Once engaged the magnets 26 first tend to -rotate the strap 4i) intofull flat engagement and also tend to pull the strap into engagementwith the faces of members 28, thereby more securely engaging and holdingthe strap 40. v

Strap 40 is preferably formedfof a flat, exible strip offerrou's metal,such as iron or steel having good magnetic properties, and aconsiderable degree of resilience. .j Strap 40 is normally heldl in asubstantially vertical position above the surface of the water, by meansof a buoyant `float 42 which is provided on its underside with abalancing weight 44 of suficient mass to maintain the strap 46substantially upright at all times. Float 42 comprises a hollow or lightweight body having substantial buoyancy in water, and is provided with acounterweight 44 which is held to the ioat 42 by a tie rod 46- ofthedesired length. Below the counterweight 44and attached to rod 46 is aring 47 by which the oat 42A may be anchored -toV any suitable anchor sothat it maintains a xed location.

The buoyancy of float 42, the mass of counterweight 44, the distancebetween mass 44 and 42 and their rela- Itive buoyancies are so adjustedthat the strap V40 supported by the float 42 remains substantiallyupright and, if deected from an upright position by weather, quicklyreturns to a substantially upright position.

On the upper end of rod 46, there is provided a telescopic connectionwith the magnetic strap 40, and may be vertically adjusted to suitvarying heights of bow, weather and other factors. The desiredadjustment may be xed by set-screw 49.

At the upper end of strap `40 is provided latch means adapted to engageand hold a transverse, longitudinally sliding bar, such as the magneticbar mounted on the bow of the boat to be moored.

These latch means may be of any desired form providing an easily enteredthroat which is resiliently closed after entry of the bar and whichholds the bar against disengagement until it is intentionally, manuallyreleased from the mooring.

The latch means, at the upper end of the strap 40 is formed by a strongangle member48 riveted to the end of the strap 40 and supporting aresilient member 50 which is bent to form with the strap 40 a narrowingthroat or passage leading into the latching area. As embodied, there isprovided a laterally extending strap 52, which extends downwardly at 54and is then sharply and upwardly bent at 56 to form a tongue at an acuteangle Vwith the strap 40 so that it may be easily entered by a bar whichis magnetically held to the strap 40, and yet Vlies against the strap 40to prevent release of the engaged ybow therefrom.

superimposed on the strap 40 is' a target member 60 `which preferablycomprises a thin disc 62 mounted on a rod,64V projecting upwardly fromthe strap 40, with the -at surfaces of the disc 62 parallel to the sidesof the strap 40, so that the operator of the boat mayv know his headingon the strap, and may, thereby, be more certain to make full engagementwith the mooring.

Figure 4 shows an optional addition to the form shown in Figures 1 to 3,and in which means are provided for providing a visual signal to thepilot when a full engagement has been made with the mooring strap y40.As embodied, the magnet bars 28 are formed of a magnetic metal, such assteel, the bars 26 are of a non-conductive, magnetic material, such as aceramic magnet, and the whole assembly is encased within a non-magnetic,metallic frame member, such as a brass channel.

As the bar 16 contacts with the strap 40, it tends to rotate the strap40into full contact between the strap 40 and the magnetic bars 26 and 28.When full contact has been established so that one of the bars 28 and aportion of the channel 16 are in contact with the metal strap 40, acircuit is completed which causes light, or other signal 7i) -to beenergized by a power source 72 provided switch 74 is closed. The powersource 72 and switch 74 may be conveniently located on the boat so as tobe under control of the pilot. Light 70 may be mounted at any convenientpoint on the boat where it is visible to the pilot as he manoeuvres tomoor the boat.

When the boat is to be released from its mooring, the operator merelygrasps the upper end of the mooring strap 40,y slackens the hold of thebar 16 with the hasp 54, and deects the hasp 54 so that the bent portion56 is separated from the strap 40 suiciently to allow release of themagnetic bar.

As the boat is moored, especially in rough water, it is only necessaryfor the boat to be headed on the mooring, especially on a heading normalto the flat surface of the strap 40 as indicated by the target 62.

In case the heading is not exactly normal to the strap 40, andgivenrelative slow speed, the magnetic force of the bar 16 exerted on thestrap 40 and the rotational force exerted on one edge or the other ofstrap 40, will cause.

strap 40 to rotate suficiently into a position where the bar 16 willenter and be held by the hasp structure 54, the forward motion of theboat tilting the strap 40.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but.depar tures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacricing its chief advantages.

What is claimed is:

l. A boat mooring comprising a rod of magnetic material to be buoyantlysupported generally upright in the Water, and having a hasp near itsupper end, a horizontal magnet bar adapted to be carried by a boat to bemoored and adapted to slide along said rod and into locking engagementwith said hasp, whereby the boat is moored by engagement of the bar withsaid hasp.

2. A boat mooring comprising a flat, rotatable strap supported above abuoyant member, a hasp having a resilient entry slot on an upper part ofsaid strap and a horizontal bar adapted to be carried by a boat at alower level than said hasp, whereby the bar may engage said strap, tiltthe buoyantly supported strap and enter the hasp slot, to be engaged andheld by said hasp.

3. A boat mooring comprising a flat strap supported above an anchored,buoyant member, a hasp on an upper portion of said strap having aneasily entered slot to receive a mooring bar, a horizontal bar carriedby a boat to be moored and adapted to contact with said strap below saidhasp, lwhereby pressure of the boat on the strapinclines the strap andallows the boat carried bar to enter and be engaged by the hasp.

4. A mooring as claimed in claim 3 in which the mooring bar includes amagnet, and the strap is of magnetic material.

5. A mooring as claimed in claim 3 in which the mooring bar includes apair of contacts to energize a signal,

said contacts being closed by engagement of said contacts with saidstrap.

6. A mooring as claimed in claim 3 in which the moor-A magneticallyadhere thereto and a member carried by said strip to engage and holdsaid bar and mounted above the level of said bar as the boat-carried barand strip are supported in the water.

8. A mooring as claimed in claim 7 wherein said member carried by thestrip has an engaging tongue post with which the -bar may slide intoengaged position.

9. A mooring as claimed in claim 7 in which a at target member surmountsthe flat strip.

10. A mooring as claimed in claim 7 in which the magnetic bar is mountedfor pivotal movement about a horizontal axis to facilitate engagement ofits face with the at strip.

11. A mooring as claimed in claim 7 in which the magnetized member is apermanent magnet.

12. A boat mooring comprising an upwardly extending, buoyantly supportedmember, means secured to a boat so that it will engage said member at apredetermined location in response to the boat being'brought up thereto,and latch means operative to prevent said first mentioned means movingrelative to said member toward the upper end thereof beyond -a givenlocation above said predetermined location.

13. A boat mooring comprising a buoyantly supported upstanding means,means adapted to be supported on a boat to engage the upstanding meansin response to bringing the boat up to the mooring, these means havinginteracting portions preventing Vrelative movement of the boat supportedmeans outwardly of the upstanding means beyond a given location, rwithone of the engaging means being a magnet and the other being a magneticmaterial whereby they are urged into engagement by a magnetic force.

Elliot Apr. 21, 1931 Blake Aug. 8, 1933

